Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy Hardcover – July 1, 2012 by Tui T. Sutherland (Author)Wings of Fire by Tui T. SutherlandWings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

The Dragonet Prophecy is the first in the new series WINGS OF FIRE, by Tui T. Sutherland. It’s set in a world where dragons are the dominant species; humans are present but are called “scavengers” and seen as an occasionally dangerous nuisance. The prophecy concerns five young dragons who, it is foretold, will end a long and ruinous war. The five are hidden away and raised by a small rebel underground.

Sutherland quickly takes this plot in a couple of unexpected directions that hooked me right away. The rebels are not particularly good people — er, dragons — and don’t necessarily have the dragonets’ best interests at heart. And one of the five dragonets thought to be mentioned in the prophecy was killed in the egg, so another was substituted: Glory, who comes from the much-despised RainWing tribe. These two factors come together to pose a deadly threat to Glory.

It’s this threat to Glory that inspires the dragonets to defy their guardians for the first time, and sparks the coming-of-age adventure of Clay, the MudWing who is our point-of-view character and protagonist. The dragonets must escape and save Glory — and if they manage that, they will find themselves in the outside world and in the midst of the dragon war.

The Dragonet Prophecy is pretty violent for a middle-grade book; it depicts war and gladiatorial combat without pulling a lot of punches. For this reason, I think it’s best suited for the upper end of the middle-grade range. However, the dialogue and humor feel “young” in a way I’m hard-pressed to put my finger on, and so I don’t think WINGS OF FIRE is going to be one of those kids’ series that gains a huge cult following among adults.

Which is kind of a shame, actually, because Sutherland spins a good plot with lots of twists and betrayals and shades-of-gray morality. It felt kind of like reading A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE for kids, though of course much shorter and with dragons in the speaking roles. So far I’m really intrigued, and I plan to look up the second book, The Last Heir, when it comes out in January.

Published in 2012. A thrilling new series soars above the competition and redefines middle-grade fantasy fiction for a new generation! The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy — a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .

Author

  • Kelly Lasiter

    KELLY LASITER, with us since July 2008, is a mild-mannered academic administrative assistant by day, but at night she rules over a private empire of tottering bookshelves. Kelly is most fond of fantasy set in a historical setting (a la Jo Graham) or in a setting that echoes a real historical period (a la George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey). She also enjoys urban fantasy and its close cousin, paranormal romance, though she believes these subgenres’ recent burst in popularity has resulted in an excess of dreck. She is a sucker for pretty prose (she majored in English, after all) and mythological themes.

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